The Higher You Go, The Cooler It Becomes: 3 Lessons to Learn

During our first introductory course to Tropical Meteorology, we found it hard to come too grasped with this concept.

Just like every other curious human, our questions were: “why does temperature decrease with height, shouldn’t it be the reverse?”

Upon completion of the introductory classes, we understood why temperature decreases with altitude and the science behind it.

I’ll explain: the heat of the sun can’t radiate through space, because space is a vacuum.

Radiation from the sun travels through space and passes through the Earth’s atmosphere – the atmosphere is a poor conductor of heat – so it slips through.

When this radiation finally meets the Earth’s surface, it warms it because the Earth’s surface is good at heat absorption.

However, the atmosphere may be a poor conductor of heat, but it has mass and its weight compresses the air at the Earth’s surface more than the air at altitude.

The compression of air leads to heat generation as the molecules collide with each other, jostling for space.

This hustle for space does more harm than good because the more they collide with each other, the more heat they generate.

But luckily for them, dense air rises. So when this air has acquired enough heat – and by extension pressure – it gains buoyancy and then rises to the top.

But as it does so, the atmospheric pressure decreases, the air loses its energy, it expands and cools off.

There are three lessons to be learnt here:

1. Strive for excellence

Only when air has acquired sufficient heat do they become dense and then rise to the top. Heat is needed for buoyancy.

The same process that made living uncomfortable for air, was the same element that it needed in order to rise. Hard work is uncomfortable and laborious, but we need it in order to progress.

Amidst those who are struggling to survive, someone must surely rise from amongst them.

Iron sharpeneth iron. As air molecules collide with each other, they unknowingly strengthen themselves. This process of collision is beneficial to all, without it, growth may not take place.

Who are you colliding with? Which group of persons are you sharing ideas with? Who are those in your corner, those who renew your strength and motivate you?

Similarly, just like dense air, you have to lose weight in your journey to the top. And losing weight can mean different things to different people.

For some, this could be taking new courses, starting that business, showing up consistently for your audience or putting in quality time and effort on a new project.

As you progress in life, you understand just like dense air that some baggage isn’t worth carrying along. You begin to drop off heat.

2. Understand your environment

Although heat was needed for take-off, it becomes a burden for growth. Why? Because the environment has changed.

While on the Earth’s surface, the environment favours heat. But as dense air rises, it becomes clear that with the load it’s carrying, it won’t go far.

Understand your environment. Understand the elements that can work in your favour.

The same factor that lifted you up may not necessarily be the same factor that will push you to the next phase of your life.

Experience is good, but experience can hamper growth when you fail to learn new things. New wine is bad for an old wine skin – Matthew 9:17.

There’s less congestion at the top. Fewer competition – only a handful of people are willing to do what it takes to unlock other levels of success.

Conversely, it’s crowded at the bottom, the competition is massive and the pressure is off the charts.

Above all, strive for success. Work hard to be at a place where minimal work guarantees more growth.

Successful people will tell you how lonely it is to be up there, but it’s much better to be lonely up there than to experience the rat race at the bottom.

The view at the top is much better. Aim for it!

Read also: Practical steps to take when you’re shown the door

3.      Create space for others

When we progress – expand like dense air – we gain more experience, knowledge, and these are most times followed up closely by financial growth.

The more we keep growing and expanding, the more we’re leaving our current position to occupy other levels of growth.

When employees gain promotions, they leave their current position for a bigger role. What then happens to the post they left behind? Someone else will fill it up. And the cycle continues.

Just like when air loses pressure, it creates room for others to fill up.

So, the higher the air goes, the more space it’ll live behind and that space can’t be empty – something has to fill it up.

However, progress doesn’t care about queues. There’s no numbering system when it comes to success. Over-taking is allowed.

If you’re unwilling to grow and make space for others, they’ll grow regardless.

The higher you go, the cooler it becomes. Cheers!